I was recently interviewed for Leo Sidran’s wonderful podcast, The Third Story. Listen here –– episode: “The Ones That Got Away, 2022 Holiday Edition” I have been a big fan of The Third Story for quite some time – if you haven’t checked…
Miles and Wynton both agree… Don Cherry is important. “Don Cherry, I like…” – Miles Davisby Leonard Feather, Down Beat Volume 58 No. 12first published by Down Beat, June 1964 “I loved Don Cherry.” – Wynton Marsalisinterviewed by Will Layman…
No history, no future. *an edited version of this essay will appear as the introduction the forthcoming book “Images of America, Milwaukee Jazz” by Joey Grihalva on Arcadia Publishing Co. (preorder the book here: mkejazzbook.com) Many have proclaimed the “death of…
Unlike the Classical player, the jazz artist must achieve a technique that uncovers the self, that answers the question that Ellison says is the question of American art: Who am I? -Robert G O’Meally, from the introduction ‘Jazz Shapes’ to Ralph…
In Make the Road by Walking I mentioned allowing one’s life experiences, personal relationships, childhood memories, visual artistic expressions (ie. the smells, tastes, sights, and sounds of daily life) to influence one’s music. Here, I would like to share with you a personal example of…
“The pattern for the tune will be forgotten, and the tune itself will be the pattern.” -Ornette Coleman (from Ornette Coleman, A Harmolodic Life) To me, there are certain musicians who deserve specific attention… who require deliberate study. — The controversial,…
Barry Harris, piano 7/27/16 “I tell some of the young kids in order to be a jazz musician you have to play a Monk song. You don’t play a Monk song, I feel there’s something funny about you being…
Having been deeply rooted in the MKE jazz scene for my entire performing career, I have a pretty clear picture of the state of the scene. I have seen it’s ebb and flow and have witnessed multiple waves of growth…
My own feelings about the direction in which jazz should go are that there should be much less stress on technical exhibitionism and much more on emotional content, on what might be termed humanity in music and the freedom to…